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Jay Groth

Hawks place 6th at Baltzley Invite behind champion Walsh, while Jaguars finish 13th

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It didn't take long for Ankeny wrestler Ben Walsh to get into midseason form. After making his season debut two nights earlier, the fifth-ranked Walsh cruised to the 126-pound title in the Frank Baltzley Invitational on Saturday at Johnston. He posted a 10-3 decision over Lou Elsten of Lawrence (Kan.) in the title match. "Sometimes when you have a kid … [Read more...] about Hawks place 6th at Baltzley Invite behind champion Walsh, while Jaguars finish 13th

‘We’re heading in right direction’: Hawks top Centennial for 2nd consecutive year

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With two of their stalwarts back in the lineup, the Ankeny wrestlers defeated their crosstown rival for the second consecutive year. The Hawks traveled across town to Ankeny Centennial on Thursday and posted a 40-28 victory, getting a pair of pins from returning state placewinners Ben Walsh and Calvin Rathjen. "It was nice having both Ben and Calvin … [Read more...] about ‘We’re heading in right direction’: Hawks top Centennial for 2nd consecutive year

Ankeny, Centennial wrestlers hoping to get healthy for Jag vs. Hawk showdown

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With the Jag-Hawk wrestling dual meet coming up on Thursday at Ankeny Centennial, both teams are still trying to get to full strength. It's been a rough start to the season for the Jaguars, who placed 14th among 15 teams in the Keith Young Invitational on Saturday at Cedar Falls. Defending state champion Max Dhabolt has yet to wrestle, and neither have … [Read more...] about Ankeny, Centennial wrestlers hoping to get healthy for Jag vs. Hawk showdown

‘I liked the way we fought’: Depleted Jags open season with 53-21 loss at Northwest

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) The Ankeny Centennial wrestlers saw their team's season come to an end a year ago at the hands of Waukee Northwest after winning the previous matchup. Now, the Jaguars hope to flip the script in the 2025-26 season. Centennial traveled to Northwest on Thursday and won just four of the 14 matches with three falls in a 53-21 … [Read more...] about ‘I liked the way we fought’: Depleted Jags open season with 53-21 loss at Northwest

Jags return state champ Dhabolt, runner-up Vandermark, placewinner Sodergren

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During his tenure as the head coach of the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers, Jay Groth has built a program that embodies hard work and toughness. That culture has led to a lot of success in the 12-year history of the program, but even Groth admits that it's not easy to be a Jaguar wrestler. "We have lost a few kids this season because wrestling is a hard … [Read more...] about Jags return state champ Dhabolt, runner-up Vandermark, placewinner Sodergren

‘I had to prove everybody wrong again’: Dhabolt wins Class 3A title at 157 pounds

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The title drought is over for the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers. In their seventh appearance in a Class 3A championship match, the Jaguars finally got an individual state championship on Saturday night courtesy of sophomore Max Dhabolt, who became the first boy in school history to capture a crown. "Oh my gosh, it's been a long time coming," said … [Read more...] about ‘I had to prove everybody wrong again’: Dhabolt wins Class 3A title at 157 pounds

Jaguars move into 8th place, will have 4 placewinners along with Ankeny wrestlers

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Ankeny Centennial wrestling coach Jay Groth has vowed to get a tattoo the first time a Jaguar wins an individual state title. Now, it's possible that he might have to get two. Centennial's Cale Vandermark and Max Dhabolt both advanced to Saturday's championship matches by recording technical falls in the semifinal round of the Class 3A tournament on … [Read more...] about Jaguars move into 8th place, will have 4 placewinners along with Ankeny wrestlers

Hawks surge into 8th place, advance 2 to semifinals along with Centennial duo

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Ankeny wrestling coach Jack Wignall was left speechless by his team's performance on Thursday morning. The Hawks won 12 of 14 matches on the second day of the Class 3A state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena, allowing them to catapult from 15th in the team standings into eighth place with 60.5 points. They recorded seven pins and two technical falls along … [Read more...] about Hawks surge into 8th place, advance 2 to semifinals along with Centennial duo

Jaguars advance 4 wrestlers to Thursday’s quarterfinals, while Ankeny duo moves on

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Ankeny Centennial and Ankeny advanced a total of six wrestlers into Thursday's quarterfinal round of the Class 3A state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. The Jaguars won eight of 13 matches on Wednesday and are currently in seventh place in the team standings with 32.5 points. They advanced second-seeded Cale Vandermark at 120 pounds, No. 6 … [Read more...] about Jaguars advance 4 wrestlers to Thursday’s quarterfinals, while Ankeny duo moves on

Jaguars capture district crown, qualify 9 wrestlers for Class 3A state tournament

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The Ankeny Centennial wrestlers came away with a Class 3A district team title on Saturday for the second year in a row. The Jaguars qualified nine wrestlers for the state tournament while racking up 208.5 points in the district meet at Fort Dodge. The host Dodgers, who are ranked sixth in Class 3A, placed second in the eight-team field with 189 … [Read more...] about Jaguars capture district crown, qualify 9 wrestlers for Class 3A state tournament

Jags advance to regional final on Keller’s pin, then tumble to No. 6 Waukee NW

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It should not be surprising that a team with a .500 record would come away with another split on Tuesday in a Class 3A regional dual at Waukee Northwest. The 14th-ranked Ankeny Centennial wrestlers got a pin from heavyweight Brook Keller in the final match to beat No. 12 Council Bluffs Lewis Central, 34-33, in the opening … [Read more...] about Jags advance to regional final on Keller’s pin, then tumble to No. 6 Waukee NW

‘We went out and fought’: Jags drop 58-14 decision to No. 1 S.E. Polk on Senior Night

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The Ankeny Centennial wrestling team celebrated its Senior Night on Thursday before dropping a 58-14 decision to visiting Southeast Polk. It was the final home meet for the 14th-ranked Jaguars, who finished 5-3 in the CIML Conference and fell to 10-10 overall. "We have almost 20 seniors, and it's nice just to have those guys around," said Centennial … [Read more...] about ‘We went out and fought’: Jags drop 58-14 decision to No. 1 S.E. Polk on Senior Night

Jags’ Dhabolt named most outstanding wrestler after winning Ed Winger crown

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Ankeny Centennial sophomore Max Dhabolt showed on Saturday why he's a serious contender to become the school's first-ever state wrestling champion. The third-ranked Dhabolt defeated the two wrestlers ranked above him in Class 3A to win the 157-pound title in the Ed Winger Invitational at Urbandale. He posted a 4-2 … [Read more...] about Jags’ Dhabolt named most outstanding wrestler after winning Ed Winger crown

‘It was a tough night’: Johnston wrestlers record 7 falls in 58-17 win over Centennial

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Although Max Dhabolt returned to the lineup on Thursday for the Ankeny Centennial wrestling team, the 17th-ranked Jaguars simply didn't have enough firepower against No. 3 Johnston. The Dragons recorded seven falls and rolled to a 58-17 victory at Centennial. The loss dropped the Jaguars' records to 5-2 in … [Read more...] about ‘It was a tough night’: Johnston wrestlers record 7 falls in 58-17 win over Centennial

Centennial wrestling team struggles to 10th-place finish at Osage Duals

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Saturday was a rough day for the Ankeny Centennial wrestling team. With two open weights and some other wrestlers out of the lineup due to injuries, the Jaguars struggled to a 10th-place finish at the Osage Duals. They lost all five of their dual meets, dropping to 10-8 overall on the season. "We wrestled some really good teams, and we wrestled flat," … [Read more...] about Centennial wrestling team struggles to 10th-place finish at Osage Duals

‘We weren’t sure we could pull it off’: Jaguars’ depth pays off in win at Waukee

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The Ankeny Centennial wrestling team was without a trio of varsity regulars on Thursday, including a pair of state placewinners in Isaac Bruhl and Max Dhabolt. No worries. The Jaguars relied on their depth to post a 47-22 victory over Waukee in a CIML Conference dual meet at Timberline Middle School. They improved their records to 5-1 in the league and … [Read more...] about ‘We weren’t sure we could pull it off’: Jaguars’ depth pays off in win at Waukee

Ankeny’s Rathjen claims Mendenhall title, while Jags’ Vandermark earns 100th win

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Saturday's Jack Mendenhall Invitational proved to be a memorable tournament for Ankeny wrestler Calvin Rathjen. Ankeny Centennial's Cale Vandermark also enjoyed an historic moment. Rathjen won the 132-pound title to lead the Hawks to a fourth-place finish in the 15-team field, while the Jaguars took sixth behind a runner-up performance at 120 from … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Rathjen claims Mendenhall title, while Jags’ Vandermark earns 100th win

‘That should do a lot for his confidence’: Keller’s pin seals Jaguars’ win at Dowling

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After losing four of the first five matches, the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers won seven of the next eight bouts and posted a 45-33 victory at Dowling Catholic on Thursday. The sixth-ranked Jaguars raised their records to 4-1 in the CIML Conference and 9-3 overall, but coach Jay Groth still had some concerns after the meet. "We need to continue to not … [Read more...] about ‘That should do a lot for his confidence’: Keller’s pin seals Jaguars’ win at Dowling

‘We’ve got a lot of work to do’: Centennial wrestlers post 2-2 record at Valley Duals

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Eight Ankeny Centennial wrestlers won at least three matches on the day as the Jaguars went 2-2 overall Saturday at the Valley Duals. Sixth-ranked Centennial opened the tournament with a 54-21 win over Valley that raised its record to 3-1 in the CIML Conference. The Jaguars began that dual with seven consecutive victories, including falls in the first six … [Read more...] about ‘We’ve got a lot of work to do’: Centennial wrestlers post 2-2 record at Valley Duals